Boxoffice (Apr-Jun 1937)

STRIKING CRAFTS MAY TURN TO CIO Jurisdictional Tiff of lATSE and FMPC Before AFL Board As indicated from the very inception of the walkout, diehards in the FMPC ranks, facing an early demise of their strike activities, may turn to the Committee for Industrial Organization for support if the PMPC’s present quarrel with the lATSE is given the thumbs-down gesture by the American Federation of Labor’s executive board. AFL Has FMPC Protest The AFL is at present considering the lATSE-FMPC tiff over jurisdictional problems, and the FMPC body at a mass meeting this week dispatched a message to that labor organization’s executive board in Cincinnati asking for immediate action in regard to what the FMPC terms jurisdictional encroachment by the lATSE over makeup artists and hair stylists. If the present strike picture is accurate, the CIO will be asked to move in if AFL leaders refuse to take action on the matter. Theatre Picketing Continues The FMPC is continuing picket lines at theatres and the ten major studios on the craft union’s unfair list. Early in the week, however, there was no indication that Charles Lessing, FMPC strike director, or Pat Casey, labor representative for the producers, would get together on any sort of agreement. An earlier move for settlement was spiked when George Browne, president of the lATSE, informed producers that no negotiations could be opened with the FMPC without his sanction, as in such an event he would call an immediate national strike of lATSE workers in both theatres and studios. Government Mediator Possible Developments at the AFL meeting were being awaited by producers and strike leaders, with the possibility arising that a government mediator may be called in to settle the difficulty regardless of what action the AFL may take. Meanwhile the Screen Actors Guild continued its organizational drive, having successfully fought for producer recognition some weeks ago, and has decided to extend its closed shop edict to producers of Ken McKenna Proposes Actors' Pool New York — A proposal that theatrical producers and managers form an actors pool for hiring a large group of competent players on a seasonal basis was advanced by Kenneth McKemia, actor, at the American Theatre Council convention here this week. McKenna’s contention was that each manager would be privileged to draw from this pool the actors he might need to cast a show, with the selection to be on a rotating basis. In this manner the manager would be able to get the actors at less salary a week than he might ordinarily be required to pay them, while all the actors in the pool would be assured a season’s wages, McKenna contended. commercial films, who will be asked to sign contracts similar to those of other producers. The SAG also put the clamps on screen appearances of songwriters, directors and other film people who have done turns as actors, under terms of the ruling that none but Guild members may be on the screen except in star or featured parts. Sylvan Simon, Universal test director, was the first to feel the effects of the ban when, as he was going to appear as himself in a short titled “Going Places,” he was forced to withdraw in favor of a Guild actor, Charles Brokaw. Studio casting directors, production and business managers opened negotiations this week for a Guild shop agreement with the SAG. Algier Named Manager Production manager on “Face the Facts,” which Andrew L. Stone will produce and direct for Grand National, will be Sidney Algier. It will be Stuart Erwin’s second starrer for GN. Betty Laidlaw and Robert Lively scripted from Clarence Budington Kelland’s original story. Shooting is scheduled to start early next week. Renowned Artists in Studio Rental Deal Renowned Artists, Inc., awoke from a lethargy which had pervaded it since its inception when it made arrangements this week to rent studio space on the Selznick International lot and announced plans to go into production some time in October on its first picture, “Trade Winds,” which Tay Garnett will produce and direct with Ronald Colman starred. UA Will Distribute A production and office staff is being organized at present by Lester Cowan, Renowned executive who heads the producer-director-actor cooperative organization, which numbers among its members Ronald Colman, Garnett, and John Ford. Renowned has reached a distributing agreement with United Artists for its product, of which a more detailed announcement is forthcoming when conferences, now in session, are concluded. Associated Doing Groundwork Associated Artists, which came into being at about the same time as Renowned some time ago to bring confusion into Hollywood over the similarity in titles, has held its activities to a minimum after a preliminary policy and product announcement. Dudley Murphy, Associated president, has been in New York for the past two weeks tieing up story material and acting and production talent. Associated is built along lines similar to Renowned — a cooperative arrangement in which producer-members pool their finances and share alike on profits and losses. No studio space nor release channels have been cinched. SCRIPT "SUMMER ROMANCE" Grant Garrett and Seena Owen are scripting “Summer Romance,” Fanchon’s next production for Paramount, from Don Hartman’s original. WESTERN EDITION Is One of the Seven Sectional Editions in Which BOXOFFICE Is Published Weekly. The Other Six Editions Are; NEW ENGLAND, MIDEAST, CENTRAL, MIDWEST, SOUTHERN, EASTERN. IVAN SPEAR, Western Manager, Suite 219, 6404 Hollywood Blvd., Hollywood, Calif., Phone GLadstone 1186. WALTER BARUSCH, 201 Golden Gate Bldg., 25 Taylor St., San Francisco, Calif. JOE COOPER, 2417 Second Ave., Seattle, Wash. JOHN A. ROSE. 1620 Clarkson St., irSv. Denver, Colo. VIOLA BROWNING HUTTON, 605 Utah Savings & Trust Bldg., Salt Lake City, Utah.